The Storm
Overview The Storm ''is the seventeenth studio album by Tech N9ne. Released by Strange Music Inc. on 9 Dec. 2016, it was originally slated for a 9 Sept. release. The album was pushed back when the album wasn't completed in time. 3 singles were released on September 9th as an apology for the delay. The project serves as a sequel to Tech N9ne's debut 1999 album ''The Calm before the Storm. Collaborations on the album include Problem, Logic, Joyner Lucas, Kate Rose, KoЯn, Gary Clark Jr., Young Devi D, the Popper, Marsha Ambrosius, and Rich the Factor, along with his Strange Music accomplices Krizz Kaliko, JL, Stevie Stone, and Big Scoob. The deluxe edition of the album brought an accompanying three tracks and a bonus disc featuring upcoming music from other Strange artists, similar to the Strange Music Library from 2006's Everready Religion. Concept The Storm serves as a sequel to 1999's The Calm before the Storm. Tech has expressed that when he does what he feels is his best music yet (Special Effects) that he finds it daunting that he is tasked with topping it. He knew that making The Storm ''a sequel to his debut would push him to create the best music he had ever made. The album is broken up into three sections that all serve homage to the alter egos introduced on ''Everready Religion: The King, The Clown, and The G. Tech took this further by dressing up as all three characters during the Calm Before the Storm Tour 2016 and the Strictly Strange Tour 2017. The LP was originally going to be released 9 Sept. 2016, but the album wasn't able to be put together in the time available, and release was pushed back to 9 Dec. 2016. As an apology, Tech released 3 singles on 9 Sept. 2016. Each of the singles was from a different section of the album. "Erbody But Me" is from Kingdom, "I Get It Now" is from "Clown Town" and "What If It Was Me" is from G. Zone. The first section, "Kingdom", reflects Tech's braggadocious and narcissistic side. Songs like "Godspeed" show off his speed, "Sriracha" shows off his lyrical ability, and "Get Off Me" shows him flipping off his haters. The second section, "Clown Town", features the darkest and creepiest music of the album. KoЯn vocalist Jonathan Davis offers a chillingly offset chorus on "Starting to Turn" and Tech compares his infectious spread of the music industry to the Flint, Michigan water crisis in "Poisoning the Well". The finale of the album is "G. Zone". These six tracks (nine if you bought the Deluxe Edition) show off the old gangsta style that was present on many of Tech's first songs. Homie from the ghetto Big Scoob is employed on "Buss Serves", Gary Clark Jr. gives a guitar solo on "No Gun Control", a powerful message about police brutality is displayed on "What If It Was Me", "The Needle" voices Tech's frustration at musical world domination, and "The Long Way" shows off general glee that, despite all the setbacks, Tech N9ne is still the #1 Independent Rapper in the World. The bonus disc then features 23 tracks but only 12 songs. 11 tracks are merely intro skits for the songs. The album held "The Thing" f. Krizz Kaliko as the pre-order download track. Reception Neil Z. Yueng of AllMusic reviews the album, saying this, directly referencing "Anywhere" and "The Needle". "Throughout the album, his bars are impressive, but toward the end of The Storm, his vulnerability and brutal honesty prove he's hungry and determined as ever." XXLMag fits The Storm as a L sized album, even though the review offers no commentary as to the downsides to the album. Reviewer Scott Glaysher says that "The Storm confirms Tech’s ability to push the boundaries of what rap can sound like and how it can look. The album, whether taking in 17 tracks or all 32, may give new listeners a reason to hop on board for the wild journey ahead but at the same time, Tech N9ne ensures his core fans are in it for the long haul." -Scott Glaysher, 23 Dec. 2016 The Source advertised for the project by stating "Because Tech has been so prolific using the choppa style, also using his harmonies as instruments, and flipping rhyme patters for years, this album reveals nothing new about his technical skills. However feeding the insatiable fans Tech created, providing more performance material and continuing to prove he has the content in the bank to keep releasing mass amounts of music." -Ontoneyo, 9 Dec. 2016 HipHopDX gave the LP a 3.4 out of 5, while the community gave it a 3.89 out of 5. "While The Storm occasionally hits in all the right places, the sheer volume of the tracks dilutes what could have been a killer album.... Similar to recently released albums like... E-40’s The D-Boy Diary, it’s necessary to pluck out the slappers and leave the rest.... While Tech rap his ass off ..., The Storm could have benefited from a more concise execution. Nonetheless, it’s a massive undertaking and another reminder how committed Tech is to his career, one that constantly redefines itself with age." -Kyle Eustice Track Listing Kingdom Clown Town G. Zone Bonus Disc *Tracks only included in deluxe edition. ^Pre-order Download Bonus Track Charts References AllMusic Review XXLMag Review TheSource advertisement HipHopDX Review [https://strangemusicinc.net/product_info.php?products_id=14041 Purchase The Storm]